Learn about Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse is an "equal opportunity offender." It can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. It affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels.

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive and coercive behavior used by one person to gain power and control over another in an intimate relationship.

Although most closely associated with physical abuse, domestic violence can take many other forms such as psychological, emotional, verbal, financial abuse, sexual violence, and isolation. Laurel House staff members and volunteers are trained to help victims of all types of domestic violence, and to support their loved ones.

Does your partner:

• Put you down, call you names or criticize you?
• Make you feel nervous or like you are "walking on eggshells?"
• Control everything you do or constantly check up on you?
• Try to stop you from talking to or seeing friends or family?
• Take your money, make you ask for money, or refuse to give you money?
• Try to control what you do or who you see?
• Tell you that you are a bad parent, or threaten to take away or hurt your children?
• Act like the abuse is no big deal, it is your fault, or even deny doing it?
• Destroy or threaten to destroy your things (phone, clothes, car, etc.) or threaten to kill your pets?
• Intimidate you with guns, knives, or other weapons?
• Shove you, slap you, hit you, push you, choke you, or hold you down?
• Pressure you to have sex or go further than you want?
• Threaten to hurt themselves because of you?
• Threaten to kill you, your family, or friends?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you may be in an abusive relationship.

Help, support, and information are available to you through Laurel House. Please call our 24-hour confidential hotline at 1-800-642-3150.